Hello, GRE Preppers, and welcome to a new series breaking down the math section concepts of the GRE. (I know the GRE calls it "Quantitative Reasoning," but remember: the GRE is not your friend, and they prefer you think their test is difficult and scary. We'll just say "math".)

We won't cover trig, calculus, proofs or anything that advanced; these subjects do not appear on the test. 

Remember: There are no concepts on the GRE that you didn't cover in high school math!

This is not to say that the GRE math will be a breeze, of course. The test-makers present simple concepts in a deliberately tricky manner, but once you learn to translate GRE questions into plain English, you'll find that much of the test is based on mathematical topics from junior high, or even elementary school.

What math is there, then?

Here are the main math categories tested by the GRE:


  • Arithmetic
  • Algebra
  • Geometry
  • Data Analysis


We'll cover all of these in depth in the coming weeks, but let's start out with the first math that anyone learns: Arithmetic.

Like, adding and subtracting?

Yup! Manipulating and calculating with real numbers instead of variables. Straight-up arithmetic. To be more specific, here are the precise arithmetic concepts tested by the GRE:

NUMBER PROPERTIES: What happens when you multiply an odd number by an even one? (You always get an even number.) What about dividing a negative into a positive? (The answer will always be negative, but you knew that.)

FACTORS AND MULTIPLES: Factor trees! Remember factor trees from fifth grade? They're on the GRE. 

PRIME NUMBERS: Is there a question about, say, finding a pattern in prime numbers? No! Of course not! Mostly, the GRE will try to trip you up by suggesting the number 1 is a prime. (It isn't! A prime number must have TWO discrete factors, and 1 only has one discrete factor.)

RATE: It equals distance divided by time. (Are you starting to see that the GRE math is nothing to be frightened of?)

EXPONENTS/BASES: What happens when you take a number to a negative exponent? What if you take a negative number to an even exponent? What about an odd? Can I have an exponent that's a fraction? Can I calculate with two exponential expressions that are not the same base?

ORDER OF OPERATIONS: You remember Aunt Sally! You'll have to keep on excusing her during the GRE.

PERCENTS: I'm not joking: there is a good chance you will be asked "If Donna bought a chair for $225.00 at a 30% off sale, then how much was the original price of the chair." 

This sounds a lot easier than it seems

Don't get too excited just yet. First, as I said, the testmakers have many ways of disguising an easy concept with a tricky question. Second, sadly, the entire math section is not simply arithmetic. There are more subjects, and they do get more difficult but it's nothing you can't handle.